


Mango Mousse

by jfiacre



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Crack, Crossdressing, Happy Birthday Inaho, Inaho may or may not be a pervert, M/M, Slaine is just trying to help, cafe setting, twenty somethings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 08:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13609923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jfiacre/pseuds/jfiacre
Summary: Donning the male uniform and serving customers with a smile like Harklight was something Slaine could do. He failed to catch the glint in Asseylum’s eyes when he eagerly offered to help.





	Mango Mousse

His skin was itching from the fabric. Slane grimaced as he stared at his reflection. He wore a black and white headband with frills, and at the center, sat a little black ribbon tied in a bow. The main ensemble and the primary source of his despair was the short, skimpy, black maid dress with ruffled sleeves that dipped low enough to show off his pale skin. To complete the outfit, he wore Mary Jane shoes. 

 

He touched his hair and leaned closer to the mirror. His hair was styled to frame his face, thanks to one of the staff members that came out of the supply closet, brandishing a curling iron as she eyed Slaine. There were slight touch ups to his eyes; a thin layer of eyeliner and mascara that would bring them out even more, according to a freckled brunette who had trapped Slaine in a corner.. 

 

Slaine was the unlucky fool that came to visit his oldest friend at the wrong time. Born into a wealthy family, Asseylum spent most of her days with private tutors and practiced the piano with Slaine as her audience. For her birthday, she sought out to open a small cafe that would allow her to socialize and make friends when she never had the chance at a younger age. Although, it was mainly her uncle, Cruhteo, who oversaw the business of the small establishment, while Asseylum stressed over the menu, staff attire, and the decorations. 

 

One of the customers had booked the quaint cafe for a short event that left the employees in a frenzy. The part-timer that was hired had quit unexpectedly, which spurred Slaine to assist. Donning the male uniform and serving customers with a smile like Harklight was something Slaine could do. He failed to catch the glint in Asseylum’s eyes when he eagerly offered to help. 

 

“Slaine, are you alright?” Harklight said behind the door. 

“I’m almost done. Just give me a minute please!” Slaine said. He shot another glance at the mirror and yanked the bottom portion of his dress down in a piss poor attempt to horde his fleeting dignity. Eddelrrituo took glee in shaving the little hairs he had on his legs. Slaine struggled in the beginning, but gave up when he saw the frown that marred Asseylum’s face. 

 

The lights were dimmed when he braved the room. His shoulders sagged as he saw the empty tables. The guests hadn’t arrived yet. Various photographs and paintings were hung against baby blue wallpaper, some of them were photographs taken from Cruheteo’s son who had taken an interest in photography last summer. There were easy ones that Slaine had seen many times on the internet like the Champ Elysees, Eiffel Tower, and a picture of the famous Bavarian castle in Germany that Slaine had trouble pronouncing. A small bookshelf was placed against the corner of the room, filled with snow globes that Asseylum bought when she went traveling with her family. Slaine would always take a moment to stop by the corner before leaving the cafe. His favorite was a small heart shaped snow globe of the Sagrada Família from Barcelona. 

Tiny string lights were strewn across several parts of the walls while potted plants were supported by individual shelves built by Harklight and Slaine. Baked pastries and coffee would waft into the room on early mornings while lunch and dinner were filled with smells of hamburg steak and biscuits. On one occasion, there was a faint scent of burnt food when their rowdy, blond chef had gone out into the back for a much needed smoke break. Eddelrrituo, who slept in that day, had shown up at the cafe an hour later, hair frizzled and mouth quivering in panic. 

 

“You look wonderful, Slaine. I can’t thank you enough,” Asseylum said when she approached him. She seemed earnest in her comment, watching Slaine with a soft smile that forced him to bow his head in embarrassment. Cheeks tinged red, he mumbled a quick thank you, ignoring Eddelrrituo’s giggle for the third time that day. 

 

“Forgive me if I say this, Slaine, but I wholeheartedly agree with Miss Asseylum,” Harklight said with an affirmative nod, earning Slaine’s jealousy as his eyes roved over the man’s uniform. He sighed and forced a weak smile at his friend. 

“Thank you, Harklight.” 

Their reactions were positive compared to Cruhteo. In the midst of the women tearing his clothes off, the man had wandered in before rushing back out, avoiding Slaine’s pleading eyes. 

 

“What time are they supposed to be coming?” Slaine asked as he stood ramrod straight for Asseylum to add a hairclip. She patted his cheek gently and beamed at him, eyes in pure adoration that made his stomach somersault. “I can’t truly thank you enough, Slaine,” she said again. 

“I think it was seven? I don’t remember,” Rayet said, coming from the kitchen with a broom in one hand. Like Slaine and Eddelrrituo, she wore the same maid outfit, but Slaine saw the blue edge of her basketball shorts peeking out from under. She was a year younger than him, juggling classes and a part time job in her last year of college. They became fast friends when Slaine was a second year through a mutual interest in the school’s running club and had spent their early mornings snarking at each other while jogging up and down the streets. 

 

“Is it anyone we know that made the reservations?” Harklight asked from behind the counter. There was a wine glass in his hand and he was polishing it carefully compared to Rayet’s earlier attempt at sweeping. 

 

“Yuki Kaizuka is a regular here. Miss Kaizuka wanted a place to host her younger brother’s birthday. She was looking for a small and quiet place , so I had offered the cafe,” Asseylum said. She took a step back and admired her handiwork of Slaine’s hair clip. “I was told it would only consist of five members.” 

“A whole cafe for just a party of five seems to be a bit excessive,” Rayet muttered, to Slaine’s agreement. He blinked and looked at Asseylum. “Younger brother? Anyone we know?” 

“Yes, she has a younger brother that she sometimes bring.” 

Slaine frowned. Apart from the regulars that flocked to the cafe, there were only a few others that showed up everyone once or twice; an old lady that smelled like petunias who took her maltese poodle with her and a surly looking man with black, wavy hair in a business suit that only ever ordered a latte.

 

Yuki Kaizuka frequented the cafe several times a month with her friends. She was a cheery woman who worked at a big named bank and would wave Asseylum over to chat with her. Slaine always kept himself to the corner table. 

“It’s true, but I’m not surprised that you don’t notice,” Rayet piped in. She leaned against the counter, one hand propped against her hip as she shot Slaine a look. “You’re not as observant as you think you are when you’re reading those Harry Potter books or boring travel novel of yours,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Anyways, he’s my age. So one year younger than you.” 

Before Slaine could defend his travel books, Eddelrrituo popped her head out from the kitchen. “Ah! Do you mean the man with brown hair and a blank stare?” 

 

“Yup. The one that’s always staring at Slaine, except our Boy Blunder never notices. I’ve seen him around school sometimes. Creepy guy,” Rayet said. She ignored the disturbed look on Slaine’s face before continuing, “He tags along with his sister, but he doesn’t talk much. He also likes his coffee with a little milk and sugar, if you’re looking for a big tip tonight.” She turned and smirk at Slaine, mirth in her eyes at her friend’s face. 

 

 

When Yuki Kaizuka stepped through the door with a small group in tow, Slaine drew his attention to the man that lingered by the door. There was a serious poker face on the man, only to clash with the gaudy orange tie around his neck. The blond boy holding the wine bottle waved enthusiastically as Asseylum approached them, nearly dropping the bottle much to the anger of his two friends; a girl in pigtails and a short haired girl carrying a cake box. 

 

The man, or Inaho, as the blond boy called earlier, was rushed to his seat at the front of the table. Inaho sat down as the group joined him. It was hard to read him with his blank expression and how his brown eyes, chocolate brown, scanned the menu critically. Slaine edged closer to the kitchen, fingers gripping his dress as he lowered his gaze elsewhere in an attempt to be discreet. 

 

His shoulders sagged when he saw Harklight walk over to the table, a professional smile on his lips as he greeted them before telling them about the day’s special. There didn’t seem to be much of a need for him to have shown up, much less in a dress if Harklight was there to take orders and bring food out. Slaine frowned and gingerly touched the clip Asseylum had placed on his head. She had been so persistent on him wearing the dress. 

 

“You can’t just stand there the whole night and look pretty, even if it’s you. Go help Harklight or something,” Rayet said. She was tying an apron around her and had her gloves on. “Where did you put the knife, Bard?” The spiky blond chef nudged the refrigerator door closed, juggling a few cartons of eggs and vegetables, he gave Rayet a pointed look. “You can just wash the dishes. I don’t trust you with a knife.” 

 

Slaine scowled at her. 

“It doesn’t take two people to take orders. Harklight seems fine,” Slaine said, and to make sure, peeked over to see the man scribbling orders down. His gaze soon fell to the mop of brown hair, relieved that the man’s back was facing them. Rayet’s words left a funny taste in his mouth and Slaine wasn’t too curious to test out her assumption. 

 

“Well, I want to test something out,” Rayet hissed before grabbing a basket of bread from the table. She shoved it towards Slaine, the weave basket jabbing against the man’s chest. “Take this to them!” 

“Why can’t you?” He asked, not the least proud to hear a bit of whine in his tone. Rayet ignored him and shoved him out of the kitchen. 

“Just go! I’m helping out with the kitchen. Since you weren’t taking orders and no one wants you to help in the kitchen, so you’re going to be the one to bring them their food!” 

“I— I can man the bar!” Slaine snarled back and sprung free from Rayet’s grasp. He whipped around and leveled her with a glare. “Why are you so pushy tonight?” 

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. 

“With what skills, Slaine? You’ll break all the wine glasses.” 

“I— “ 

“Don’t disappoint Asseylum,” Rayet said with a smirk before leaving. Slaine scowled, feeling ridiculous as he stood in the hallway, cradling the bread basket in his arms dressed in a maid outfit. He edged closer to the doorway and poked his head out. Water was present at the table and the wine bottle was uncorked. He glanced down at the basket; thick cuts of squaw and sourdough with butter on the side. 

Honestly, it was just bread. A simple task that Slaine could do, even in a dress. The cafe was small and the room itself wasn’t so big. It would take Slaine about twenty steps, maybe less, for him to drop the bread and flee. 

Slaine took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He schooled his features and straightened his shoulders before marching over to the table. The chatter died down upon his arrival. Feeling his cheeks heat up, Slaine pursed his lips and lowered his gaze to the ground. He couldn’t hear anything over the sound of his heartbeat. With sweaty palms, he dropped the basket onto the table, wincing as a small piece of bread fell off. 

“S— Sorry, I forgot the bread,” Slaine mumbled. He kept his gaze elsewhere, feeling their eyes bore into him. 

“Thank you!” Yuki Kaizuka answered. Much to Slaine’s relief, she was smiling at him. 

“You’re welcome,” Slaine mumbled. He met her gaze before zoning in on the orange tie around Inaho’s neck. 

“I know, it’s ugly. Isn’t it? But he likes the color. Don’t know why though,” the blond man said, grinning at Slaine from his seat. “Are you a new hire? My name is Calm, by the way, I never seen you before. What’s your—-” 

“He’s not a new hire,” Inaho said blandly. He took a sip of his coffee, ignoring Slaine’s obvious discomfort. Slaine flushed as Calm gaped at him and stuttered. He stumbled backwards.

“Pleaseenjoyyourmeal!” 

 

His cheeks burned when he returned to the kitchen, ignoring the puzzled look from the chef. 

“I’m not going back out there,” Slaine said. He huffed and ripped off the headband, careful of the clip. “It was humiliating. I hope you had your fun, Rayet. Because I’m done for the night.” He narrowed his eyes at her before slumping against the wall. 

 

The food was laid out on the table and the chef shuffled past Slaine, muttering about a quick break, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Slaine could hear Harklight in the backroom, moving boxes. Asseylum and Eddelrrituo were nowhere to be seen. 

“Was it so bad?” Rayet said. She frowned at Slaine. His cheeks were dusted pink. Sighing, she picked up the tray. “I can take this one and you can take the other one. Two of us will go out and we won’t have to do anything since we can leave Harklight at their beck and call. I think they have a cake in our fridge too, so there’s that and it should be done. Okay?” 

Slaine nodded and picked up the other tray before following Rayet out. Yuki didn’t look like the type to complain about their crossdressing waiter deserting them. 

The rest of the evening flew by without much trouble. Calm had apologized to Slaine, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as his two friends crossed their arms in unison and glared at him. Yuki laughed and even complimented Slaine’s appearance, much to his embarrassment. The dinner was drawing to a close much to Slaine’s relief. He rolled out the cart that carried the cake, mango mousse with fruits on top. There was even a small chocolate plaque that read, “Happy Birthday Nao!” 

 

Rayet followed behind him, carrying the plates and utensils. Choruses of happy birthday filled the room, followed by a cheer from Yuki, and a screeching rendition of the song by Calm, red faced and giggly. 

The cake was cut and Rayet moved to bring the slices to the table; a fork slipped off her grasp and clattered against the hardwood floor. 

“I can get that,” Slaine said and bent over. “I’ll go get you a new—” 

He stiffened and a shiver ripped through him as he felt something nudge against his butt. Shoulders rigid, he whipped around, “Wha—” 

“You had something on your back,” Inaho said blandly as he withdrew his hand from Slaine, ignoring Calm’s snort and Yuki’s scandalous gasp in the background, while Pigtails comforted the short haired girl, much to Slaine’s disbelief. 

“I— I don’t care! You can’t just touch people like that, you— You pervert!” He shrieked, picking up a sliced cake from the table. Seething, he smashed the cake onto Inaho’s face, ignoring Harklight’s distress cry and Rayet’s whistle. Bits of whip cream splattered and wedged themselves onto Inaho’s eyelashes, cake crumbs lumped in his hair, there was a lone sliced strawberry that slid off the brunette, leaving a trail of white streaks down his cheeks. 

“Happy Birthday,” Slaine spat. 

 

 

A week passed before Slaine went back to the cafe. The ringing in his ear from Asseylum’s scolding and Eddelrittuo’s giggles were a constant reminder of his failure from a week ago. Harklight would hover around him and glare at anyone that dared walk too close to Slaine. Rayet had wisely chosen to make herself scarce. 

Slaine pushed open the door, greeting Harklight as he shrugged off his coat. The man was behind the counter today while another girl took orders. There weren’t a lot of customers around this early in the morning. He shuffled his way to the corner, only stopping at the person sitting in his spot. 

“You!” He hissed, pointing a finger at Inaho. The man appeared to have settled down, his orange jacket draped on his chair while his tablet was propped on the table. He held an espresso cup in his hand, fork poised to dig through the cake, mango mousse. 

“Where’s your hairclip, Bat?”

**Author's Note:**

> It was my mistake to watch the first season of Aldnoah Zero and I regret falling in love with the character that is Slaine Troyard. I couldn't watch the second season, knowing that there was only a crap ending at the end of the journey for Slaine. I'm rusty when it comes to writing, so I'm thinking of writing more of this pairing as practice. I'll see how it goes, so please read and enjoy. Comments are much loved. Feed the potato please.
> 
> I honestly had know idea that it was Inaho's birthday today until now. Which was perfect considering the event was originally for his birthday and not college graduation. Edits have been made. 
> 
> Please feed the potato.


End file.
